A mother who was told by doctors to terminate her pregnancy has given birth to the baby girl doctors wanted her to abort.
Alex Gooding, 33, from Arizona, experienced a rare cesarean-section scar ectopic pregnancy (CSEP), in which the embryo becomes fused to the scar tissue formed in the uterus after a previous C-section.
Doctors diagnosed the complication at five weeks and told her to terminate, warning that continuing the pregnancy could lead to severe bleeding if her C-section scar ruptured, putting her and the baby’s life at risk.
They added she may need a hysterectomy if the placenta grew through her uterus and that the fetus might not survive.
But Ms Gooding refused, citing her strong faith, and on February 4 her newest daughter, Chloe Marie, was born prematurely via C-section at 33 weeks and one day. She weighed 4lbs and 4oz.
The baby was transferred to the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth, and has needed oxygen and a feeding tube — but Ms Gooding says her daughter is doing well.
Alex Gooding, 33, from Arizona , experienced a rare cesarean-section scar ectopic pregnancy (CSEP), in which the embryo becomes fused to the scar tissue formed in the uterus after a previous C-section
She was told to abort the child due to concerns the pregnancy could take her and her baby’s lives. But she gave birth to Chloe Marie via C-section on February 4
Ms Gooding suffered from placenta accreta during the pregnancy, or when the placenta grows deep into the uterus, and took the decision to have her uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes removed after the pregnancy to avoid heavy bleeding.
The mother, who is Christian Orthodox, said on Instagram: ‘When I was told by other doctors that I would die and so would Chloe, I knew they were likely speaking out of fear of their inexperience with this type of high risk complication.
‘That’s why I was referred to the best of the best for this kind of pregnancy. Having a medical provider that is experienced in these complications literally made all the difference in how my pregnancy went and how my delivery went.’
She added: ‘I am beyond thankful for my doctors because I know the Lord was in it. My doctor has an amazing gift in his field. No doubt that God has prepared him for this very work.’
Ms Gooding went viral on social media in October for her decision to carry the pregnancy, and has now gained 171,000 followers.
Some responded negatively to her decision to carry the pregnancy, accusing her of being ‘selfish’ and risking leaving her seven other children ‘motherless’.
But others signaled support for her decision, saying they were ‘proud’ that she had stuck to her beliefs and was protecting a young life.
During the pregnancy, Ms Gooding mostly avoided sharing updates amid public backlash.
At week 30, however, she revealed that she had been admitted to the hospital for one week of vaginal bleeding — a complication that can occur in a CSEP pregnancy.
After revealing Chloe had been born, her followers were quick to celebrate and congratulate the mother on the birth.
Chloe is now a week old, and is pictured above in the hospital. It is not clear when she will be discharged home
The above, from Nezhat surgery in New York City, shows the appearance of the uterus if it has a scar from a C-section. In a CSEP, the embryo implants in the scar
Ectopic pregnancies occur when fertilized eggs implant outside the uterus. There are several types of ectopic pregnancies, some of which implant in the ovary or fallopian tube.
About one to two percent of all pregnancies in the US are ectopic, and the fetus has ‘virtually no chance of survival’, experts say.
CSEP is a type of ectopic pregnancy. It is a rare complication, occurring in about 0.05 percent of all pregnancies, according to a 2019 study.
Doctors say these pregnancies typically do not differ from others in terms of presentation, but they do come with a higher risk of complications.
This includes hemorrhage, because the scar tissue the embryo implants on is more likely to bleed, and a hysterectomy, because the pregnancy can lead to the placenta growing in the wrong place.
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, which sets standards for maternal and child health, recommends against continuing a CSEP due to the risks.
But women can reject this advice, as long as healthcare workers first make them aware of the risks.
The technical name for the method of birth she used was a c-hyst, or where a child is born via C-section before a hysterectomy is performed.
Ms Gooding said online that doctors said they might be able to save her uterus and other organs despite the risk of severe bleeding, but that she told them not to try — saying Chloe would be her last baby.
Ms Gooding did not report that there were any complications with her C-section birth and Chloe appeared healthy.
Ms Gooding is pictured above at the start of her pregnancy
And she is pictured here with her family before Chloe Marie was born
After the birth, her daughter had an APGAR score of eight or nine — Ms Gooding revealed on Instagram.
The APGAR score is a quick assessment of a newborn’s immediate health, and scores five factors — Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration — on a scale from zero to two. A score between seven to 10 is considered healthy.
But, likely as a precaution, she was then transferred to the NICU and put on a CPAP machine to help her breathe following the birth.
The baby was taken off the machine after two days and did well for 24 hours, but then had spells where her heart rate and blood oxygen level would drop.
On the second night after being taken off the machine, Chloe Marie’s blood oxygen levels dropped into the 40s — well below the high 90s needed — leading doctors to put her back on the machine.
Ms Gooding said: ‘The NICU is a very up and down experience. Often there’s no full good days for a while. Maybe good chunks of hours followed by not good chunks of hours.
‘It’s truly a two steps forward, one step back, scenario on the daily.’
Her daughter was born seven weeks early, but well beyond the point at which a fetus may be viable outside the womb — 23 or 24 weeks. A full term pregnancy is one that lasts between 37 and 42 weeks.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report did note fluctuations in births during the 2020-2022 pandemic years, but reported an overall increasing trend in premature and early births
Ms Gooding found out she had a CSEP pregnancy at the five-week mark and quickly sought the opinion of four doctors — who all said she should terminate the pregnancy.
One also asked her husband Matt to convince her not to continue with the pregnancy.
Ms Gooding refused, however, and eventually found a doctor — who has not been named — who said he would help her carry the pregnancy.
Dr Veronica Gillispie, an obstetrician in New Orleans who has not seen Ms Gooding personally, told DailyMail.com previously: ‘The recommendation from the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine is that they recommend against expectant mothers carrying these pregnancies to term because of the risk of severe morbidity.
‘With that being said, I do believe in patient autonomy.
‘If she has been adequately counseled as to the risks and the benefits, and she understands them, then it is her right to continue the pregnancy.
‘It would just be for the care team to be ready in case something unfortunately does occur throughout the pregnancy, and in terms of considering the timing of delivery and all of those things.’
DailyMail.com reached out to Ms Gooding for comment.
